Prayer Service Commemorates Holy Thursday

St. Joseph’s Academy gathered as a community on April 13 for the Holy Thursday Prayer Service. The solemn, poignant service was held in the Activity Center.

Through word, song, pertinent Maxims and movement, the large gathering reflected on the final events of Jesus’ life and his words, actions and thoughts as he prepared to lay down his life for all of us.

Theology faculty member Hugo Andricain reflected on Holy Thursday and Jesus at his most human. “The religious authorities did not just want to stop Jesus, they wanted to end him,” he said. “They wanted to make sure that no one would dare follow his teachings and that this new way would disappear along with him. They wanted the public spectacle of humiliation and death to serve as the end of everything that Jesus stood for. Knowing all of this, Jesus trusted the will of God. Because of that fact, the cross no longer represents punishment, but redemption. It no longer intimidates, it provides hope. The cross is no longer a symbol of death but the symbol of eternal life. Jesus took the most intimidating concept that the mightiest force on earth could conceive and transformed it. … That is the power of faith. That is the transformative power of trusting the will of God.”

Students were handed a paper cross as they entered the gym. After the reflection, they were given the opportunity to consider the crosses that they bear. After prayer, they were invited to come forward and bring their crosses to the cross of Christ, laying down their burden and trusting in God’s infinite wisdom and will.

Andricain wrote the service. Narrators were Ann Nguyen and Vivian Brown. Lending their musical gifts to the service were vocalists Anna Wall, Madison Hasenkampf, Abigail Livingston and Andricain. Livingston and Andricain both played the guitar. Michael McDowell played the piano and handled lighting duties.